Repair-in(g) Architecture

The proposed text aims to explore the significance of the notion of repair as a meaningful architectural practice as well as its transformative potential for an architectural theory of sustainability. In present times, a significant portion of contemporary literature emphasizes the significance of architectural sustainability, primarily through a narrow focus on specific quantitative parameters imbued with an air of modern scientific determinism. While these parameters are undeniably important, they fall short in providing architects with comprehensive solutions, as they fail to address the pervasive loss of meaning within the built environment. Unlike the past, where meaning was cultivated through an incremental process of building-in-time, contemporary architecture is predominantly characterized by a fear of time (chronophobia) and a predisposition towards obsolescence. What is common in both respectively (past and present) is the presence and the absence of the practice of repair. However, when referring to repair, we are not solely alluding to the implementation of standardized techniques. Instead, we highlight repair's capacity to function as a craft, rooted in human labour and contemplation. Within the realm of architecture, repair held a fundamental position as a pillar of the vernacular approach to construction. This approach prioritized the onsite conception over the predefined appearance of a building. By recognizing the aforementioned insights and with the aim of fostering a paradigm shift, the paper will explore the concept of repair as it was revisited by renowned architects and theorists.